Fountain pen related stuff

[wimg]

Hi Roger,

BTW, on a 991 you can exchange nib/feed assemblies like on a Pel, so you could consider buying a second nib (they're not cheap, though).

Speaking of which, where does one in the US order the spare nib/feed assemblies for the 991, Wim? From Susanna or direct from Stipula?

Either, I would think. I place orders for nibs with my B&M store, because by now I do get a decent discount . More and more people apparently come and visit, and ask for Stipulas. I wonder why .

I can see myself "needing" at least two more in the future.

That "needing" word sets my wife off into a session of talking to herself!  :blink:

And, do I understand correctly that the 991 nib/feeds will fit any of the Etrurias?

No, not entirely.

If so, what other Stipula products will they fit?

 

TIA

I'll try to explain.

 

There are several types of Etrurias, to start with, the older models or the Amber "Grande" and the Amber "Media". The latter has a smaller nib, à la I Castoni. The Grande has a big nib, like the newer Etrurias, but these pens being proper piston fillers with a piston in an internal jacket to protect the celluloid from ink, are held in by friction force and shellac. As far as I know, there are 2 models of these, with silver and with gold trim. The nibs can be exchanged, but it is a pain as you have to take the whole pen apart to achieve that. There is also a black piston filler Etruria with silver trim that has a friction-fit nib.

 

Then there are the Demonstrators, which are piston fillers, but the barrel is the piston, and the nib/feed assembly is screw-fit rather than friction-fit, and is compatible with the later Etrurias.

 

The normal Amber and Blue Ocean (the later models) with the big piston converters also have the big interchangeable nib assemblies, as do all the later big LE c/c models, like the FPH Indian Nights LE, and the Swisher LEs.

 

The 991 has a special big piston converter, but again the big interchangeable nib/feed assembly.

 

I do not know how the nib of the cracked ice Swisher LE vermeil proper piston filler Etruria is fitted, but I would expect it to be friction fit and shellacced in.

 

Apart from these there are a few more store-related LEs, which are c/c pens, and therefore, I would think, have the same interchangeable nib/feed assembly too.

 

The retractible Etrurias have interchangeable nibs too, but because they have to fit inside the section, the nib flanges are bent a little more, and the collar of the feed that stops the assembly from screwing in too far, is narrower than on the regular assembllies. This means that the nib/feed assemblies from the retractible Etrurias do fit on the other Etrurias with exchangeable nib/feeds, but not vice versa. Although they fit, the nib cannot be retracted if you use one of the regular nib/feed assemblies, which also means the cap can't be screwed back on.

 

Apart from Etrurias, the Novecentos have the same nib/feed assemblies, the larger ones that is, with the exception again of the true piston fillers. Here also, there are variants with big piston converters and other ones with c/c fill. A few special editions, the Saturnos with crescent fillers, have friction-fit nibs as well (and those are not really interchangeable IOW).

 

Also, the Duettos have those big nibs, as do the Supremas, a few other models, and several of the LE Stipulas. Since a few years, Stipula only has 2 sizes of nibs, although they are available in a few variants, the big, Etruria/Novecento size, and a smaller, I Castoni size. The latter is also exchangeable with the smaller pens, BTW, like all the "Media" models.

 

The bigger nib/feeds come in 2-tone 18K, rhodium plated 18K, with the exception of a few nibs (OB, OBB, 52 degree), and the rhodium plated 14 K on some of the special models, generally no 1.3 italic, OB, OBB and 52 degree. However, most of the time you can always order a pen with one of the missing nibs from a specific range, just that you'll get it in 2-tone that way, rather than rhodium plated. With the special, store-bound LEs, this may not always be possible, though.

Oh, the large nib sizes are: EF, F, M, B, 52 degree, 0.9 italic, 1.1 italic, 1.3 italic, OB and OBB in 2-tone 18K, and a few less as indicated with the other finishes.

 

AFAIK, the smaller nibs come in EF, F, M, B, 0.9 and 1.1 italic. It depends also on the finish, 2-tone or rhodium plated gold.

 

Then there is a special nib, which now with the new L-91 comes in a variety of nib sizes, the titanium nib, well known from the 22. As I am not interested in those nibs, I couldn't tell you anything about sizes and/or interchangeability.

 

Anyway, HTH, and I hope you could follow this long ramble .

Warm regards, Wim

[Roger]

Oh, I'll follow it alright. I printed it, and it will go into my hardcopy pen file and I'll read it as many times as I must to follow it!

 

I think you went into this sometime ago, but not in as much detail, Appreciate you taking the time now to detail it like this.

 

Thanks,

[freecia]

 

Though, if you tote all this about with you, just HOW do you not walk with a prounounced tilt to one side? Of all the bags to steal if I were a street urchin thief, I'd want to steal yours except I'd probably fall right over due to all the stuff in your bag.

 

Really Impressive! BTW, you can upload these photos to flickr and use the note function to label all of it for some extra geek points.

 

We should all show "what's in our bag" ! Mine would be a mini-mini (uber mini) Japanese Wim version. The ony items in there which aren't Japanese (including the pencil case) are a few German mechanical pencils... filled with Japanese lead. And Noodler's ink in pens

 

Thanks for sharing! Please do it again when you rotate in a new selection